After eight years with the LA Lakers, James’ next move will be decided during the NBA’s impending free agency period.
Published July 1, 2026
LeBron James thanked the Los Angeles Lakers for allowing him to wear the team’s storied purple and gold colors after the NBA club wished “one of the greatest athletes of all time” well in his impending free agency.
The four-time NBA champion and league’s all-time leading scorer spent the last eight seasons of his decorated career with the Lakers, including two years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and four years with the Miami Heat, before leading the Lakers to a title in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No, thank you!” James said on social media in response to a post wishing the Lakers well.
“It’s an honor to wear (the Lakers’ colors) while continuing the greatness and tradition of the past! I hope I can make you proud in some way during my tenure.”
Where James plays next remains the most intriguing storyline of the NBA’s free agency period, which begins late Tuesday.
The 41-year-old, who surpassed Robert Parish’s record for most career regular-season games played last March, continues to perform at an elite level despite his age.
Last February, he was selected as an All-Star for the 22nd consecutive year, a league record.
“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss said in a post to which James responded. “We will always be grateful for his eight years with the Lakers, including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest conditions imaginable and the countless records he broke in the purple and gold.
“We wish him all the best for his future on and off the court. He will always be a valued part of the Lakers family.”
father and son duo
As a testament to his durability, James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA regular season game in October 2024, fulfilling one of his long-sought remaining basketball goals.
James, a four-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, joined the Lakers in 2018.
He was drafted No. 1 in the 2003 NBA Draft by his hometown Cavaliers, where he spent seven seasons before announcing he was headed to Miami in a live broadcast special titled “The Decision.”
The announcement tarnished James’ public image and led to many people burning replica jerseys with his number 23 on the streets of Cleveland that night.
In Miami, James teamed with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form an instant force that won two NBA titles during his four seasons in South Beach.
James then returned to Cleveland and made good on his promise to lead the Cavaliers to their first championship in the 2016 NBA Finals, rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors.
Two years later, James left his hometown team again, remaining the franchise leader in nearly every major statistical category, and joined the Lakers, playing in the NBA’s Western Conference for the first time.
